Technological Know-how and Lithic Production in the mid-Hudson Valley: Observations from the Terminal Archaic

Summary

Know-how is an archaeologically observable counterpart of the knowledge of technological agents, as it is the material capacity of an agent to apply known techniques. Both elements are not necessarily in exact equivalence, as an agent’s aptitude and willingness to apply techniques may not reflect their full knowledge. Know-how is identifiable by the stigmata left by applied techniques on artifacts and materials. Separating aptitude (or "skill") from the examination and interpretation of know-hows can allow for a non-hierarchical and non-classificatory examination of technological variation, allowing for the comparison of seemingly different technological traditions without overt judgement of past agents. This paper examines and contrasts spatio-temporal trends of technological variation within Terminal Archaic Narrow Stemmed Point Tradition (4 500 calBP- 3 200 calBP) and Broadpoint Tradition (3 900 calBP – 3 200 calBP) lithic assemblages in the mid-Hudson valley of New York, with a focus on the utilization of Normanskill chert.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20736